Pulborough is a village and civil parish in the Horsham district of West Sussex, England, with some 5,000 inhabitants. It is located almost centrally within West Sussex and is south west of London. It is at the junction of the north–south A29 and the east–west A283 roads.

The village is near the confluence of the River Arun and the River Rother, on the Stane Street Roman road from London to Chichester. It looks southwards over the broad flood plain of the tidal Arun to a backdrop of the South Downs. It is on the northern boundary of the newly established South Downs National Park.

thumb|left|St Mary's Church

The parish covers an area of 5,183 acres (2,098 hectares). The twelfth-century parish church is dedicated to St Mary. In the 2001 census there were 4,685 people living in 1,976 households of whom 2,333 were economically active. At the 2011 census the population of Bignor was included and the total population was 5,206. one of the five hundreds in the Rape of Arundel in the Land of Earl Roger.

thumb|Swan Bridge at Pulborough (A29)

Transport connections afforded by the River Arun, its navigation, and later by the LBSCR Arun Valley Line brought Pulborough into the industrial age. Good road connections permitted, in the 20th century, the development of manufacturing industry, notably heavy engineering in London Road. This has long since closed down and the site now supports, among other things, a supermarket and a health centre. The village is served by Pulborough railway station.

In 2019, two fragments of a decorated buffer terminal torc were found in 2019 'near Pulborough' which have been dated to 4th to 3rd century BCE. After its discovery and reporting to the Portable Antiquities Scheme, the torc was acquired for the Barbican House Museum.

Attractions

thumb|View towards Pulborough

There is a wild art trail, that leads from the railway station across The Pulborough Brooks to the RSPB reserve at Wiggonholt.

On the fourth Saturday of September Pulborough hosts a traditional Harvest Fair complete with old time fair ground, welly wanging and a scarecrow competition, and in June the Pulborough duck race society holds its annual duck race, a charity event.

Pulborough is also home to the South Downs Light Railway with its steam and diesel trains running regularly throughout the summer, and a more limited service through the colder months.

Local cricket

Earliest records suggest cricket has been played in Pulborough since 1799. Now based at the Recreation Ground, Pulborough Cricket Club has numerous Senior and Junior (Colts) teams. Previously a member club of the Sussex Invitation League, Pulborough's 1st and 2nd Elevens were invited to join the Sussex Cricket League ("the county league") from the 2004 season. A 3rd League XI plays in the West Sussex League, home matches being played nearby at Watersfield. Pulborough was a founder member of the North West Sussex Colts Cricket League (now known as the iDentilam League) in 1987.

Various age-groups (Under 9s, 10s, 12s, 14s and 16s) now provide an opportunity to develop cricket skills, played in a competitive environment and ultimately secure the long-term future of the club. The club also provides a mechanism for younger players to progress into senior cricket, with two non-league senior teams playing matches on Sunday afternoons. In 2006, the Sussex Cricket Board recognised the club's efforts towards youth sport, and awarded it ECB 'Focus Club' status. In 2008, the club launched a junior girls team.

Other events

On 17 July 2000, the body of missing girl Sarah Payne was found in a field off the A29 near the village. She had been reported missing some away near Littlehampton 16 days earlier. Roy Whiting, a 42-year-old convicted paedophile, was found guilty of her murder on 12 December 2001 and sentenced to life imprisonment.

In 2022, a self-built house built on a plot of land at the edge of the village featured on the television programme Grand Designs.

Climate

Notable people

Artists Clara Christian (1868–1906) and Ethel Walker (1861–1951) lived in a cottage on Toat Lane, two miles north of Pulborough, during the mid-1890s.

Psychic researcher Harry Price (1881–1948) lived at Pulborough from before his marriage in 1908 until his death.

Charles Frend (1909 - 1977), film director and screenwriter, was born in Pulborough.

Listed buildings

{| class="wikitable"

|+ Listed buildings in the parish

|-

! Name !! Listing !! Note

|-

| Ancaster House || Grade II listed ||

|-

| Chequers Hotel || Grade II listed ||

|-

| Old Place || Grade II* listed ||

|-

| Old Place Manor || Grade II listed ||

|-

| Old Swan Bridge || Grade II listed || Also known as Pulborough Bridge

|-

| St Mary's Church || Grade I listed ||

|-

| Pulborough Signal Box || Grade II listed ||

|-

| Stopham Bridge || Grade I listed || Spans the Arun between Pulborough and Stopham

|}

References

  • Pulborough Parish Council